Buch, Englisch, 230 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 154 mm x 233 mm, Gewicht: 376 g
Copular Sentences at the Syntax-Semantics Interface
Buch, Englisch, 230 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 154 mm x 233 mm, Gewicht: 376 g
ISBN: 978-0-19-954355-7
Verlag: Oxford University Press
This book considers the syntax and semantics of non-verbal predicates (i.e., nominal, adjectival and prepositional predicates) in copular sentences. Isabelle Roy explores how a single structure for predication can account for the different interpretations of non-verbal predicates. The book departs from earlier studies by arguing in favor of a ternary distinction between defining / characterizing / situation-descriptive predicates rather than the more common stage-level/individual distinction. The distinction is based on two semantic criteria, namely maximality (i.e., whether the predicate describes an eventuality that has spatio-temporal properties or not) and density (i.e. whether the spatio-temporal properties are perceived as atomic or not). The author argues in favor of a strong correlation between the semantics properties of predicates and their internal syntactic structure. Her analysis accounts for seemingly unrelated cross-linguistic data: the indefinite article in French, the distribution of the two copulas 'ser'/'estar' in Spanish, and case marking on Russian predicates.
Autoren/Hrsg.
Weitere Infos & Material
- I Predicational copular sentences at the syntax-semantics interface
- 1: Introduction
- 2: Predication, non-verbal stative predicates and copular sentences
- II Meanings and structures
- 3: Meaning and typology of non-verbal predicates
- 4: Internal syntax of non-verbal predicates
- III Further analysis
- 5: The case of the Russian copula
- 6: Spanish multiple 'be'
- 7: Irish multiple 'be' and genericity
- 8: Conclusion
- References
- Index
